NSP:091 Rob Harrison Spearfishing FUNdamentals

Interview with Rob Harrison | Spearfishing FUNdamentals

The Veterans Vault section in this interview will serve as a blueprint for you if you are interested in starting and growing a spearfishing club. Rob Harrison was one of the core members responsible for driving extreme growth in the Auckland Freediving Club membership. Since then he has started a spearfishing training group called Spearfishing FUNdamentals. In this interview he discusses some of the core things clubs need to do to lay a foundation for growth such as having a powerful vision, establishing a cultural/social code, encouraging action oriented discussion and more. As usual there are tips to improve your hunting and freediving techniques along with a few laughs. Enjoy:)

A NSP listener (Vaughan Podbielski) reached out to me with this recommendation. “I take part in a spearfishing dedicated training group (pool fitness / Co2 etc and lake depth training), group called Spearfishing FUNdamentals. It’s run by a good bugger named Rob Harrison. Rob is also an AIDA Master Instructor. I’ve just done my AIDA2 with him. Rob also used to be president of the Auckland Freediving Club but now focuses on spearfishing freediving. (also underwater hockey player for NZ).”

Here is what Rob had to say about the club. “… we now have a good crew and take turns at writing up the plan and programs. We have done 12 week focused training plans and have had members progress from 10m to 30m divers as a result. The idea for group came about in my last year at the Auckland Freediving Club.”

Interview Time Stamps

3:00 Intro to Rob Harrison’s background and stories starting out scuba diving and then freediving and spearfishing.

7:00 Early obstacles: Breath-hold and bottom time

8:45 Gary Conway early mentor and insights into exploring further species and using competitions to broaden your skills.

12:45 How did you develop your competition strategy? :

Awesome tip “Ask the experienced guys after the competition finishes about specific species tactics. They are much more inclined to share rather than before or during. A few beers post comp will yield some awesome info.”

30:00 What is your favourite species to hunt and how do you hunt them effectively?

Weedline Hunting: John Dory, Terakihi and Boarfish. Two strategies. Hanging off the weedline and making noise. Getting off the edge, laying facedown, throwing sand up and holding bottom time (keep your fins flat and still).

37:20 Veterans Vault: How to grow a spearfishing club and community

How to grow a spearfishing club | Key Points

Vision | Mission | Objectives are essential

Contributing to social responsibility in a powerful way

Develop the leaders and people in the club. Pay for their training.

Minimum size of team leadership (5-8 is optimal)

Let people use their initiative

Have a social contract to build and self-enforce values in the community culture

Retrospective club meetings involving BBQ. What are we doing well? What do we need to do more of? What do we need to stop are a few of the questions they asked each other at the meetings.

Shrek is a Brisbane based Spearo, Podcast Co-Host and Blogger. Initially experiencing the underwater world through scuba diving, the hunter gatherer orientation quickly became apparent along with the enjoyment of breath-hold diving.